City pins hopes on stealth radar to combat speeding

Monday

Jan 6, 2014 at 1:02 PM

The initiative has multiple dimensions but ultimately relies on a technology called stealth radar

By Julian MarchJulian.March@StarNewsOnline.com

Wilmington officials have created an initiative to manage neighborhood traffic so the city can address residents' speeding complaints.The initiative has multiple dimensions but ultimately relies on a technology called stealth radar, which measures the speed of vehicles. Although speeders won't get a ticket directly from the stealth radar data, officials want to use the data to help combat speeding.Here's how the technology works: The radar box is mounted on a pole so it can track the number of vehicles and their speed on a street.After the city collects the data, residents get a letter with the radar's findings.Using the data, the city can measure how bad the speeding is and ascertain the time of day when the worst speeders are out. Police officers can then do targeted patrols on those times to catch speeders in the act. Additionally, the city will temporarily mount speed minder signs under speed limit signs to show drivers how fast they are actually moving. The signs are designed to improve the awareness of both drivers and residents, said Glenn Harbeck, the director of the city's planning, development and transportation department.While the signs are deployed, the radar will continue testing vehicle speed in the area to see if the efforts had any affect, Harbeck said at a Monday city council agenda meeting. After that data is collected, the city will publicize those numbers.The initiative is the city's way of trying to respond to complaints about neighborhood traffic without having to spend big bucks on making physical changes to streets. Harbeck calls the latest initiative, which relies on radar and education, a "soft approach" to solving the problem, as opposed to the hard approach of installing traffic-calming devices.The change in philosophy is as much about funding as results. In 1990s and early 2000s, the city installed speed humps in neighborhoods by petition. But in 2003, the city stopped installing speed humps and refocused the program on solving area-wide traffic problems. In the following years, the city focused on finding short and long-term solutions to help slow traffic, including curb extensions or mini traffic circles.Due to the economy, the program's funding was cut in 2009.Though the money may have dried up, the complaints did not.Last year, the city bought two stealth radar units (at about $3,000 each). The city also spend $30,000 on the seven speed minder signs, about half the cost of a single traffic island on just one street. Part of the appeal of the technology from the city's standpoint is that it can be rotated around the city.Harbeck said the city wants to address as many neighborhoods possible to improve safety and educate drivers. Don Bennett, the city's traffic engineer, said Monday the radar technology is already booked through July. He said he is taking neighborhoods in the order of their requests.